Israel’s Military Begins Its Ground Offensive in Gaza City and Thousands of Residents Flee, AP
“The Israeli military began its ground offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday, slowly closing in on the Palestinian territory’s largest city, where block after block has already been destroyed in the Israel-Hamas war. Thousands of people streamed out in vehicles laden with their belongings, but hundreds of thousands more remain.”
Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza, U.N. Inquiry Finds, NBC
“Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a United Nations commission said Tuesday, calling on the international community to end the campaign and punish the top officials it found responsible for inciting it.”
‘The Bombing Has Been Insane’: Gaza City Palestinians Scramble to Flee Israeli Assault, BBC
“‘I couldn’t take my furniture with me because I couldn’t afford the cost of a large truck,’ she explained. ‘Leaving everything behind was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.’ The cost of displacement has surged far beyond the reach of most households.”
Rubio, in Israel, Says a Diplomatic Solution to Gaza War May Not be Possible, The New York Times
“While making clear that the United States would still pursue a peace settlement, Mr. Rubio said Hamas is ‘a terrorist group, a barbaric group, whose stated mission is the destruction of the Jewish state. So we’re not counting on that happening.’”
Qatar, US Near Defence Deal After Israeli Strike in Doha, Reuters
“Qatar and the United States are on the verge of finalising an enhanced defence cooperation agreement, top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, after Israel’s attack on Hamas political leaders in Doha last week drew widespread condemnation.”
We Are ‘Super Sparta’: Netanyahu Says Israel Faces Isolation, Must Shift to Self-Reliance, Haaretz
“Netanyahu added that Israel will need to behave like ‘Sparta,’ famous for its wars with ancient Athens. ‘We’ll need to develop weapons industries here. We’re going to be Athens and super Sparta. Over the next few years, we’ll have no other choice. We’ll have to defend ourselves and know how to attack our enemies.’”
Israel’s Qatar Attack Was a Costly Failure, Axios
Barak Ravid writes, “A week after Israel’s missile strikes in Qatar, it’s clear not only that the assassination attempt against Hamas leaders failed, but that it backfired. The strike increased the feeling inside the Trump administration and around the world that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is reckless and has become a destabilizing force in the region.”
Netanyahu’s Vision of Israel as ‘Super Sparta’ Means Eternal Siege, Haaretz
The Haaretz Editorial Board writes, “In contrast to his populist explanations, this isolation is not a result of ‘Qatari campaigns’ or the work of ‘belligerent Islamic minorities’ in Western Europe, but of the policies of his government.”